


In Season

by QueenOfCarrotFlowers



Series: Carrot's Romance Fics [29]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ben is a private investigator, F/M, Intimidation, Klute AU, Rey is a sex worker, Sexual Intimidation, Stalking, sexual defilement of property
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:48:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25920838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfCarrotFlowers/pseuds/QueenOfCarrotFlowers
Summary: “It’s a good thing they’re in season,” Ben says, after placing three or four peaches into the paper bag provided by the shopkeeper. “I need one more. How’s that one?” He points to the one in her hand. It’s fine, she thinks. The flesh gives under her fingertips but it isn’t too soft, there are no dark spots, and it smells sweet and pleasant. But she doesn’t reallyknow. He knows she doesn’t know, though, and he’s not going to judge her for it. So she smiles, and drops it into his bag.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: Carrot's Romance Fics [29]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1801348
Comments: 8
Kudos: 16
Collections: Let's Go to the Movies - Reylo Readers & Writers Prompt Exchange





	In Season

**Author's Note:**

  * For [taxila](https://archiveofourown.org/users/taxila/gifts).



> This fic is for taxila, written for their prompt **Klute AU**.
> 
> If you don't know it, Klute is a 1971 crime thriller wherein a high-class call girl (a sex worker who schedules appointments by telephone) named Bree is being stalked, and John Klute is an investigator searching for a missing man who may or may not be Bree's stalker. Bree and Klute develop a sexual and romantic relationship as they work to solve the case. 
> 
> This fic is based on a couple of my favorite scenes from the film. Rey is the call girl and Ben is the investigator, and I've tried to get a bit of their canon characterization in there (or at least how I usually characterize them, with a focus on a soft Ben and a feral Rey) - although, truly, Bree is pretty feral and Klute is pretty soft! This film would make an excellent long AU and I'm a bit sorry I only have the energy to do a little one shot. But I hope it satisfies.
> 
> Note: Since Rey is a sex worker you should be aware that there are oblique mentions of sex work and to her being with other men.

The street is dark, but the lights from the market illuminate the sidewalk brightly, the tables clustered with boxes of fruit - apples and melons, and strawberries in cardboard squares soaked with red juice. The air is warm and the sweet scent of the fruits tries its best to overtake the other aromas, the steam churning up from the subway tunnels and the exhaust from the cars that crowd the street only feet away. 

Rey doesn’t shop in outdoor markets, although her building is surrounded by them. She has her groceries delivered, trusting the shops to make the best choices for her. It’s one less thing for her to worry about. She’s been so stressed out with all that’s been happening: dealing with her stalker, and then Ben moving into her building, looking for a missing man who might be her stalker (or who might not), and then this _thing_ , whatever it is, that’s started to develop between her and Ben, which only complicates things, considering her chosen profession… But Ben wants fresh peaches, some kind of dessert to go with whatever he’s got planned for their dinner, so he pulled her out of the nice, warm bed and into the dark evening, and now they’re here, standing side-by-side caressing peaches like some kind of old married couple. It feels good, domestic, and she’s enjoying the masquerade. Ben doesn’t smile often, but he’s smiling now, watching her out of the corner of her eye as she picks up the peaches one at a time, gives them a little squeeze, takes a whiff of their soft skin, and sets them down again.

“It’s a good thing they’re in season,” he says, after placing three or four of them into the paper bag provided by the shopkeeper. “I need one more. How’s that one?” He points to the one in her hand. It’s fine, she thinks. The flesh gives under her fingertips but it isn’t too soft, there are no dark spots, and it smells sweet and pleasant. But she doesn’t really _know_. He knows she doesn’t know, though, and he’s not going to judge her for it. So she smiles, and drops it into his bag.

“I think it’s good,” she says, and he leans down to kiss her forehead. He’s kissed her in more intimate places than that, but the open display of affection makes her gasp in surprise. He pulls back, embarrassed, ready to stammer an apology, but she puts her fingers over his lips to keep him quiet. “It’s good,” she says again, and he relaxes, takes her hand, and pulls her down the street. 

On the other corner there’s a nursery, potted plants and flowers piled on the ground and wooden tables and shelves. It’s slightly cooler here, and it smells good, like green and water. Rey and Ben wander past slowly, stopping every few steps to admire a particularly attractive bloom.

“I never pay attention, Ben,” Rey murmurs, her thumb caressing the petals of a tiny pink rose. “I didn’t realize there was so much green in the middle of the city.”

“If you think this is good, you should see Central Park.” She glances up into his face, expecting to see snark there, but his expression is guileless, hopeful. “I could take you there. We could have a picnic.”

 _A picnic_. Rey’s never been on a picnic. The men Rey knows, her clients or otherwise, would not deign to take her on a picnic. Not even Mr Canady… which reminds her.

“That would be nice,” she says. Ben smiles, bashful. “I saw Mr Canady,” she says, and Ben’s smile fades. “You remember Mr Canady?”

“Yeah. I remember him.” No longer relaxed, Ben is controlled, and Rey wants to shake him, tell him there’s no reason to tighten up like this every time she talks about work.

“Don’t be like that, Ben. I told him I wouldn’t, uh, go there anymore.”

Ben stands still, so still, and waits for her to say more. She wishes he could just understand, wishes that she didn’t have to _say_ everything. But she must. For Ben, she must.

“I know it's tough to understand, but it wasn't easy. You see, he was nice to me. I mean, it wasn't just him. I got something out of it too, I guess. Anyway, I told him I wouldn't go there anymore.”

“You won’t _go there_. But you’ll still see him? He’ll still pay you?”

“Well, yeah. He says he still wants my company.”

“Does that surprise you?”

“A little bit. Yeah.”

“Rey.” The corners of his eyes wrinkle as he smiles. “You are excellent company. Here.” He reaches past and hands her the potted rose she’d been admiring. “For your garden.”

She kisses his cheek and takes it, pulls it close to her chest.

“Speaking of roses, my Rose says we have a relationship.”

“What?” Ben is pulling out his wallet again, making his way to the vendor to pay for the rose. 

“You and me - a relationship.”

“I was wondering what this is.”

Rey sets her head on Ben’s shoulder as he pays, and they make their way back up the sidewalk, not hurrying, towards their building. While they walk Rey holds Ben’s arm and thinks about Ben, her relationship with Ben. How different things would be, if she could really _be_ with Ben. 

But of course the universe has to take a swing around and fuck everything up. 

They arrive at her apartment to find it in a shambles - furniture overturned, decorations ripped from the wall, bedding scattered and ripped. Ben jettisons the grocery bag, and the beautiful peaches roll out across the hardwood. He quickly looks around, but finds no one. Whoever did this - Rey’s stalker, presumably - is long gone. Rey sets the rose on the floor just inside the door and follows him slowly, whispering.

“Oh, Jesus. Oh, Jesus.”

“Don’t touch anything,” Ben says, and the harshness in his tone, even though Rey _knows_ it’s not directed at her, has her close to tears. He moves swiftly to the rear of the apartment; Rey hears his shoes crunching in the broken glass of the rear window, which has been smashed inward. When he returns to the front of the apartment his attention is immediately drawn to the manila folder he’d set on the coffee table earlier. It’s open, the contents strewn about, photos ripped into pieces.

“He got them all, didn’t he,” she whispers, looking over Ben’s shoulders as he gazes down at them, careful not to touch. All the images of Armitage Hux are ripped through, his humorless visage divided again and again and again. Rey’s head swims. Does this mean that the missing man is her stalker after all? Or is it all a ruse to lead them off the track?

Rey wanders back to her closet, where her clothes - some of them gifts, beautiful items from her clients, too good for her - have been pulled from hangers and drawers and thrown into a pile on the floor. 

“He got into my clothes!” She cries out. Ben doesn’t respond.

Then she sees it, and screams. Ben told her not to touch but she can’t help it, she lifts the thing up and holds it at arm’s length, carrying it back out to the front where Ben stands, hands in his trouser pockets, frowning at the mess on the table. 

Rey laughs, disgusted, and holds out the pair of black silk underpants so he can see them. “Look what he did in them.”

“Drop it.”

She can’t respond, she’s too horrified to do anything other than stare. Her house has been _defiled_ by some terrible man and there doesn’t seem to be anything they can do about it. She’ll never know happiness, will she? She’ll only ever have a taste and then it will be pulled out of her hand, again and again and again.

Ben seizes her arm, shakes the garment back onto the floor. Rey starts to gag, slaps her hand over her mouth, starts for the bathroom. Ben yanks her back.

“Stay out of there. Go to my place.”

Rey twists free of his hands and backs away. She can’t stop gagging, gagging and laughing hysterically.

“Listen to me, Rey,” Ben says. He steps closer, but she backs away. His voice is gentle. “It's all right. I've been expecting something.”

Rey is suddenly incensed. “My God, I thought it was over. And here I am, right back at the start.”

“Rey—”

“Right back at the start, right?”

“Rey! Go to my place!”

Now it’s Rey’s turn to take a step forward, and Ben a step back. She raises a hand, accusatory. “You said it was over, right? You said not to worry any more, all over, right? Fuck this.”

She turns around and makes for the door; he can’t pursue her, and she wonders if he even wants to. Instead he shouts again, as she frantically makes her way down the stairs.

“Go to my place and wait!”

Rey considers running out the door, into the street, going somewhere far away where none of this can touch her. But instead she does as Ben asks. She runs all the way to the basement, fishes his spare key out of her pocket, opens the door to his apartment, and goes inside to wait.

**Author's Note:**

> I know what you're all wondering: Is Armitage Hux the stalker?
> 
> I don't know. But if this story follows the film on the matter... well, I won't spoil it, but if you want to spoil yourself go ahead and read [the plot description on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klute).


End file.
